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NBC10's Lu Ann Cahn is in Atlantic City where police are blocking off the entry into the city. (Published Monday, Oct. 29, 2012)

Hurricane Sandy, hundreds of miles wide and gaining speed off the New Jersey coast, is moving so fast that forecasters predicted that it would make landfall by 6 p.m., hours ahead of earlier expectations, and cut a massive swath of destruction toward Philadelphia.

In Philadelphia, where tens of thousands of people have fled flood-prone neighborhoods in fear of a direct hit, Mayor Michael Nutter urged residents to stay inside and not be fooled by the relatively calm winds and rain that soaked the city all day.

"It's coming," Nutter said in an afternoon news conference. "The fact that Philadelphia is dead on in the path, that it is not only slow moving but may hover over us for a while, is reason to take this very seriously."

Viewer Images From Sandy

NBC10's Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz said Sandy's wind speeds had increased to 90 mph, making it nearly a Category 2 storm, and was traveling toward land much more rapidly - at 28 mph - than it was on Sunday.

"This storm is moving so fast that it is very close to landfall right now," Schwartz said a little after 3 p.m.

Sandy Gains Strength as NJ, Philly, Del Braces for Landfall

The hurricane is 200 miles of the coast of Cape May as of noon. Winds have strengthened to 90 mph and the storm is moving at 18 mph.

(Published Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012)

As he spoke, the storm was about 60 miles from Atlantic City, making the next few hours the most dangerous along the coast, forecasters said. Sandy's hurricane-force winds extended up to 175 miles from the center - and tropical storm-force winds even farther - which means that its impact will be felt across the Northeast in the form of potentially deadly storm surges, massive flooding and widespread power outages.

"If some of the high tide water recedes this afternoon and you see a way to get off the barrier islands, get off the barrier islands," Christie said. "If you don't then you have to shelter yourself in your home on the highest floor."

Wind gusts of 40-60 mph are expected between 1 p.m. Monday and 6 am. Tuesday. The heaviest rain, 4-8+ inches will fall between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Monday. The worst of coastal flooding is expected between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Monday.

Wind speeds will increase Monday night, when the storm's impact will peak.

Sandy has already caused more than 60 deaths in the Caribbean.

President Barack Obama has signed an emergency declaration for New Jersey. The declaration will allow the state to request federal funding and other assistance for actions taken in advance of the massive storm

The rain and wind won't diminish until Wednesday morning, Schwartz said. That's two full days of blunt-force hurricane winds and rain, which is likely to cause severe flooding and widespread power outages.

The National Weather Service said Sandy would cause "life-threatening" storm surges along the mid-Atlantic coast.

SEPTA, which stopped service early Monday, said it would not consider resuming service until after Tuesday morning, when crews would try to determine whether it was safe. Check SEPTA's website for the latest.

Regular Amtrak service is not expected to resume until at least Wednesday.

All flights in and out of Philadelphia International Airport were canceled for Monday. It is unclear when flights will resume.

Sandy is expected to impact an estimated 50 to 60 million people along the eastern United States, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

As Sandy moves across land, it is expected to slow down as it pulls in moisture from the Atlantic, triggering very heavy rain.

Sandy will then take a turn up to the north and east Wednesday and Thursday, wrapping around cold air on the backside of the storm. Heavy snow could develop west of the Philadelphia area.

"These are going to be winds that are sustained," Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett said. "Especially when the ground is saturated, there's the potential for trees to come down ... for power lines to come down."

The governor added that residents should "be prepared to stay in your homes for an extended period of time ... perhaps without power or water."

A coastal flood warning is currently in effect for the Jersey Shore and Delaware beaches. A coastal flood watch is in effect for areas surrounding the Delaware River. A flood watch is in effect north and west of Philadelphia. A high surf advisory is in effect for the Jersey Shore and Delaware Beaches. Finally, a high wind watch is in effect for the entire area.

All of these watches and warnings are in effect until late Monday or until the storm passes.